PETERSBURG, Va., September 28, 2019 – The Monroe College Mustangs women's volleyball team completed a perfect weekend on Saturday with a pair of three-set victories over Richard Bland College and Northern Virginia Community College in a tri-match at Richard Bland. The Mustangs even their record at 8-8 with Saturday's set of wins.
 
MATCH 1: MONROE 3, RICHARD BLAND 0 (25-13, 25-8, 25-9)
The Mustangs opened the match with confidence, rolling to a quick 5-0 lead, and shortly after, a 9-3 advantage. The set was never in doubt for Monroe, who went on to win, 25-13, and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
 
The Mustangs got off to a commanding 14-3 start in the second set. Monroe led, 21-6, before Richard Bland scored a couple points, but four in a row to close it out gave Monroe a 25-8 win and a 2-0 lead.
 
Richard Bland led, 2-1, early in the third frame, but the Mustangs responded with five in a row and 9-of-10 to take a 10-3 advantage. After a point by the home team, the Mustangs rattled off eight straight points for an 18-4 lead. The Mustangs kept their foot on the pedal and closed out the match with a 25-9 win.
 
Giulia La Longa threw down a team-high nine kills in the win, adding two blocks as well. Alondra Ramos had seven kills and six digs. Yarianne Gonzalez passed out 18 assists, while Melanie Orsini led with 12 digs. Masoomeh Angooti had four kills, three aces and eight digs in the match.
 
MATCH 2: MONROE 3, NORTHERN VIRGINIA 0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-14)
The momentum from Saturday's opener carried over into Monroe's second match, as the Mustangs galloped out to a commanding 15-2 lead in the first set against the Nighthawks. The Mustangs continued to pack it on, rolling to a 25-9 win in the opening game.
 
The second set appeared to be going in the same direction when the Mustangs took a quick 7-1 lead. After taking a 14-6 lead, the Mustangs saw their advantage completely disappear, with the Nighthawks going on an eight-point run to tie the set at 14-14. The Mustangs responded with six straight points to go up, 20-14, and eventually had set point at 24-19, but the Nighthawks kept fighting, picking up the next four points to get within one. A kill by Juliana Minota then allowed the Mustangs to hang on for the 25-23 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Monroe held a 5-4 lead early in the third stanza before going on a four-point run. 9-4 soon became 14-7, but after a point for Northern Virginia, Monroe scored 7-of-8 to go up, 21-9. The teams then traded points before ultimately reaching the final score of 25-14 in favor of the Mustangs.
 
La Longa once again led with nine kills, while Minota, Angooti and Ramos each contributed six apiece. Angooti added 10 digs, but Orsini led the team with 15 of them. Gonzalez had 16 assists in the win, while Alondra Garcia added 12 of her own. Gonzalez and Orsini each served up four aces.
 
The Mustangs return home on Thursday, Oct. 3, for a match against Queensborough Community College at the Monroe Athletic Complex. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m.
 
ABOUT THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM AT MONROE COLLEGE
The athletic program at Monroe College encompasses a total of 31 teams competing across nine sports. There are 19 varsity and junior varsity programs, as well as club men's and women's rugby, competing on the New Rochelle campus as the Mustangs (NJCAA Division I). The Monroe Express, based out of the Bronx campus, has 12 teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level.
 
For more information about the Monroe Mustangs, please visit us at www.MonroeCollegeMustangs.com or follow us on social media: Facebook (Monroe College Athletics), Twitter (@Monroe_Mustangs) and Instagram (@monroemustangs).